Gait training system using motion analysis

ABSTRACT

A gait training system using motion analysis is provided to perform consecutive motion analysis while a person to be measured is walking on a treadmill. The gait training system includes a treadmill including a belt rotatable by a roller of which a rotating rate is adjustable in response to a walking speed of a walker; and measuring means for transferring signals associated with a movement of a body of the walker. The measuring means are attached to the body. A control unit analyzes a walking movement based on a data from the measuring means, and a display unit displays the data to the walker.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a gait training system using motionanalysis, designed to perform consecutive motion analysis while a personto be measured is walking on a treadmill.

2. Description of the Related Art

Walking is a most efficient way to move that humans most frequently use.To treat those having difficulty in walking, motion analysis is anessential prerequisite.

The motion analysis is carried out for the study of the movements ofseveral body portions by using kinematic data, kinetic data and dynamicelectromyography (EMG) data. To date, it has been a substantially uniquemotion analysis method that a doctor repeatedly examines with bare eyeswalking behaviors of a musculo-skeletal patient. However, this method isimpossible to objectively clarify various factors that might causeabnormal gait and changes in the abnormal gait. Accordingly, a motionanalysis system with most advanced electronic and computer technologiesintegrated thereto has been demanded in order to acquire objectiveinformation associated with abnormal gait and thus enable correcttreatment. Up to present, many hospitals and laboratories worldwiderelated with rehabilitation medicine, orthopedic medicine, sportsmedicine, industrial medicine and the like have been introducing andactively utilizing such systems. In addition, such systems are likely tospread more.

FIG. 7 is a perspective view illustrating a conventional motion analysissystem.

The conventional motion analysis system includes an infrared strobe,video cameras 101 to 103, a pressure sensing plate 111, other sensorsattached to joints of a patient by which the movements of the joints canbe detected, data analysis software and so on.

The motion analysis system can analyze the gait of the patient in aphotographing area of the cameras, in particular, at one point. However,as a basic problem, this system cannot be applied to a gait trainingprocess which needs to analyze and feed back walking behaviors of a userin real-time to correct the gait. In addition, a large amount of data isrequired to analyze gait information since gait is not performed atspecific locations. A large amount of time is also necessary to processsuch data.

Furthermore, since a motion analysis performed at one point does notensure data reliability, a patient is required to walk repeatedly. This,however, results in problems such as a prolonged time period for themotion analysis, accumulated fatigue of the patient and a largemeasuring space.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention has been made to solve the foregoing problems ofthe prior art and therefore an object of certain embodiments of thepresent invention is to provide a gait training system capable ofmeasuring joint angle data of a patient in real-time and feeding thedata back to the patient while the patient is walking, thereby enablinga gait training.

Another object of the invention is to provide a gait training systemcapable of using a treadmill with a rotating rate adjustable in responseto a walking rate so that a patient can repeatedly walk at the samelocation in order to repeatedly analyze walking behaviors. This systemcan also feed gait data back in real-time to the patient so that thepatient can perform training according to the motion analysis.

Further another object of the invention is to provide a gait trainingsystem of a relatively simple design, which can be installed in arelatively limited room, shorten a walking time of a patient, and affordreal-time input data of motion analysis to the patient to perform gaittraining.

According to an aspect of the invention for realizing the object, theinvention provides a gait training system. The gait training systemincludes a treadmill including a belt rotatable by a roller of which arotating rate is adjustable in response to a walking speed of a walker;measuring means for transferring signals associated with a movement of abody of the walker, the measuring means attached to the body; a controlunit for analyzing a walking movement based on a data from the measuringmeans; and a display unit for displaying the data to the walker.

Preferably, the measuring means may include at least one marker attachedto a lower limb of the walker, the marker capable of capturing a motion;and a camera arranged adjacent to the treadmill to locate the marker inorder to detect a walking movement of the walker on the treadmill.Alternatively, the measuring means may comprise an electric goniometerincluding a flexible bar capable of bending in response to a bending ofa lower limb joint of the walker; and an attachment support for securingthe flexible bar to a lower limb of the walker. As a furtheralternative, the measuring means may comprise a goniometer including avariable resistor with a resistance value varying according to an angleof a joint; and an attachment support for securing the variable resistorto a lower limb of the walker.

Preferably, the treadmill may include at least one sensor arrangedlaterally of the belt, the sensor having piezoelectric devices arrangedwith a gap on an upper surface thereof. Here, the sensor may include afirst sensor arranged in a front portion of the treadmill to detect anaccelerated movement and a relocation of the walker; and a second sensorarranged in a rear portion of the treadmill to detect a deceleratedmovement and a relocation of the walker. Preferably, the treadmill mayinclude a pair of piezoelectric plates arranged in a bottom surfacethereof, which lower limbs of the walker touch, to measure a time thatone of the lower limbs of the walker touches the bottom surface of thetreadmill.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The above and other objects, features and other advantages of thepresent invention will be more clearly understood from the followingdetailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanyingdrawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view illustrating a gait training system usingmotion analysis according to the invention;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view illustrating another embodiment of thetreadmill shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view illustrating further another embodiment ofthe treadmill shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view illustrating another embodiment of themeasuring means shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 is a perspective view illustrating further another embodiment ofthe measuring means shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 6 is a graph illustrating an example of movement analysis accordingto the invention; and

FIG. 7 is a perspective view illustrating a conventional motion analysissystem.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

The present invention will now be described more fully hereinafter withreference to the accompanying drawings, in which preferred embodimentsof the invention are shown.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view illustrating a gait training system usingmotion analysis according to the invention.

The gait training system of the invention includes a treadmill 10. Thetreadmill 10 includes a belt 11 being rotated by rollers (not shown).The treadmill 10 rotates the rollers (or one of the rollers) to move thebelt, on which a user can walk as if on the ground. As one technicalfeature of the invention, the gait training system of the invention isconstructed so that a user can consecutively walk at one point on thetreadmill 10.

FIG. 2 illustrates sensor units installed in the treadmill of theinvention. As the walker accelerates walking, he/she moves forward onthe treadmill. Then, at least one of piezoelectric devices installedunder the belt detects the acceleration and sends a detection signal tothe drive motor. In response to the detection signal, the motoraccelerates its rotating rate to drive the belt faster. For thisfunction, the piezoelectric devices are arranged with a gap,constructing a first sensor unit 41. In this fashion, the first sensorunit 41 is installed in a front portion of the treadmill to detect anyacceleration of the walker.

On the contrary, a plurality of piezoelectric devices are arranged in arear portion of the treadmill, constructing a second sensor unit 42. Thesecond or rear sensor unit 42 detects a foot of the walker treading onany of the piezoelectric devices and sends a detection signal so thatthe drive motor can decelerate rotation. Thus, the second sensor unit 42is configured to detect the deceleration of the walker. In addition todetection on the acceleration or the deceleration of the walker, thefirst and second sensor units 41 and 42 can detect a relocation of thewalker.

Referring to FIG. 3, relatively large piezoelectric plates 61 areinstalled in right and left parts of the treadmill, on which the walkeror patient treads, in order to detect a time that the lower limbs of thepatient touch the treadmill. In this case, the piezoelectric plates 61are arranged between the acceleration sensor unit (i.e., the firstsensor unit 41) and the deceleration sensor unit (e.g., the secondsensor unit 42) under the belt, in areas on which the right and leftlower limbs of the patient tread, respectively. The piezoelectricdevices may detect the level of a treading pressure by the patient tomeasure the weight loaded on the lower limb. Furthermore, by measuringthe time that the lower limbs touch the treadmill, it is possible toexamine the patient hobbling with the weight biased to one limb.

As an alternative, markers may be attached to one leg and edges 31 ofsupports of the treadmill and then the locations of the markers can becompared. FIG. 2 shows the treadmill with the markers attached thereto.When the markers 50 attached to the patient's leg move forward of themarkers 51 attached to the support edges 31 of the treadmill, a controlis made to accelerate the treadmill. In a reverse case, a control willbe made to decelerate the treadmill. The markers 51 may be attached tothe treadmill by plural numbers, and one of the markers 51 most adjacentto an initial location of the markers 50 attached to the patient's legmay act as a location reference for the detection of acceleration anddeceleration.

The invention provides such a treadmill with the rotating rate adjustedin response to the walking rate. However, such a method of adjusting therotating rate of the treadmill as described above is merely an examplebut not intended to limit the invention.

The gait training system of the invention also includes measuring meansattached to the body of the patient walking on the treadmill, by whichsignals associated with movements of the body can be sent to acontroller. As in FIGS. 1 to 3, the invention adopts the markers 50 asthe signing means to capture a motion or movement by using externalcameras.

The markers 50 can be attached to a joint and surrounding portions aboveand below the joint. With the markers 50, it is possible to determinethe angle and the location of the joint which vary in accordance withthe movement of the lower limb. That is, by locating the markers 50attached to the lower limb with the cameras, it is possible to measurethe angle and the position of the joint varying according to themovement of the lower limb in walking. The positions of the markers maybe varied according to regions to be measured such as knee, ankle andhip joints. For example, the markers are attached to the knee joint andthigh and calf portions above and below the knee joint when the kneejoint is to be measured, and to the ankle joint and foot and calfpotions above and below the ankle joint when the ankle joint is to bemeasured. In case of hip joint measurement, the markers are attached tothe hip joint and shoulders and thigh portions above and below the hipjoint. The markers 50 are preferably attached in positions opposing thecamera 20 so that the camera 20 can detect the markers 50.

In this disclosure, the cameras 20 and 21 are used as the photographingmeans. Each of the cameras 20 and 21 includes a sensor such as aninfrared ray sensor, and is installed adjacent to the treadmill 10 todetect the movement of the walker walking on the treadmill. The cameras20 and 21 may be provided by one or more, and the position and number ofthe cameras may be varied according to environments and conditions of apatient.

In the invention, electric goniometers 71 may be used as the measuringmeans for transferring signals associated with body movements of thewalker on the treadmill. As shown in FIG. 4, each of the electricgoniometers 72 includes a flexible bar 72 and attachment supports 73.The flexible bar 72 is made of a flexible material to bend along with ajoint, and the attachment supports 73 are connected to a portion of alower limb and the flexible bar 72 so that the flexible bar 72 can bendalong with the joint. The attachment supports 73 of the electricgoniometer 71 are attached to upper and lower portions of a joint to bemeasured, and connected to the flexible bar 72 positioned in the side ofthe joint to be measured.

FIG. 5 illustrates goniometers 81 each having a variable resistor, whichcan be adopted as the measuring means. Referring to FIG. 5, each of thegoniometers 81 includes a variable resistor 82 with its resistancevarying according to the angle of a joint and attachment supports 83 forattaching the variable resistor to a lower limb. Likewise the attachmentsupports 73 of the electric goniometer 71, the attachment supports 83are placed in portions above and below the joint. The variable resistor82 of the goniometer 81 has a resistance-adjusting portion configured tomove along with the joint so that the resistance of the variableresistor 82 is varied with the angle of the joint changing. Thus, theangle of the joint can be measured based on the resistance value varyingaccording to the angle of the joint.

Outside cameras may be excluded in a case where the electric goniometeror the goniometer having a variable resistor is used as in FIG. 4 or 5.In case of receiving gait data from the photographing means or from theelectric goniometer or the goniometer having a variable resistor, thecontrol unit can compare the data with data of normal gait to determinegait abnormality. The control unit can also display the gait data to awalker to appreciate his/her gait abnormality, and thereby the walkercan have a train to correct the abnormal gait by him/herself. For thispurpose, the control unit may also include a display unit 70 installedin front of the walker to display the gait data in diagrams or graphs tothe walker.

FIG. 6 is a graph illustrating an example of movement analysis accordingto the invention. Referring to FIG. 6, locations of an abnormal kneejoint measured from markers attached thereto are displayed on a screento be compared with locations of a normal knee joint. In this fashion,abnormal values can be displayed in real-time together with normalvalues so that a walker can take a gait training on a treadmillattempting to conform his/her gait to the normal gait.

The gait training system of the invention provides a treadmill on whicha user can walk, and while the user is walking on the treadmill,consecutively performs motion analysis on the user and then provides themotion analysis result to the user in real-time in order to induce theuser toward a normal gait.

Furthermore, it is possible to provide a system having motion analysisand training functions. This system can perform motion analysis in ashorter time, even in a relatively limited room, and afford gaittraining to a user.

While the present invention has been described with reference to theparticular illustrative embodiments and the accompanying drawings, it isnot to be limited thereto but will be defined by the appended claims. Itis to be appreciated that those skilled in the art can substitute,change or modify the embodiments into various forms without departingfrom the scope and spirit of the present invention.

1. A gait training system, the system comprising: a treadmill having abelt rotatable by a roller wherein a rotating rate of the roller isadjustable in response to a walking speed of a walker; measuring meansfor transferring signals associated with a movement of a body of thewalker wherein the measuring means is attached to the body; a controlunit for analyzing a walking movement of the walker based on a data fromthe measuring means; and a display unit for displaying the data to thewalker.
 2. The gait training system of claim 1 further comprising: amarker attached to a lower limb of the walker wherein the markercaptures a motion and further wherein the measuring means has a cameraarranged adjacent to the treadmill wherein the camera locates the markerwherein the camera detects a walking movement of the walker on thetreadmill.
 3. The gait training system of claim 1 further comprising: anelectric goniometer: wherein the electric goniometer has a flexible barfor bending in response to a bending of a lower limb joint of the walkerand further wherein the electric goniometer has an attachment supportfor securing the flexible bar to a lower limb of the walker.
 4. The gaittraining system of claim 1 further comprising: a goniometer: wherein thegoniometer has a variable resistor with a resistance value that variesaccording to an angle of a joint and further wherein the goniometer hasan attachment support for securing the variable resistor to a lower limbof the walker.
 5. The gait training system of claim 1 furthercomprising: a sensor arranged in a position lateral to the belt whereinthe sensor has piezoelectric devices arranged with a gap on an uppersurface of the sensor.
 6. The gait training system of claim 5 whereinthe sensor: has a first sensor arranged in a front portion of thetreadmill wherein the first sensor detects an accelerated movement and arelocation of the walker and further wherein the sensor has a secondsensor arranged in a rear portion of the treadmill wherein the secondsensor detects a decelerated movement and the relocation of the walker.7. The gait training system of claim 1 further comprising: a pair ofpiezoelectric plates arranged in a bottom surface of the treadmillwherein the piezoelectric plates measure a time that a lower limb of thewalker touches the bottom surface of the treadmill.